Arcturus UAV said it has unveiled JUMP, a new vertical takeoff and landing system for their T-20 and T-16 fixed wing UAVs.

“This is a pivotal moment in the history of small unmanned air vehicles. JUMP is to UAVs what the touch screen was to smart phones,” according to D´Milo Hallerberg, president of Arcturus UAV.

Booms fitted with vertical lift motors and rotors are mounted to each wing to provide vertical lift for takeoff and landing. Vertical lift motors are shut off for winged flight and propellers are feathered longitudinally for minimum drag. Seamless transition to winged flight is achieved by the Piccolo autopilot using Latitude Engineering´s Hybrid-Quadrotor technology.

All flight control is fully autonomous. Arcturus JUMP enjoys all of the versatility of a quad rotor while retaining the superior range and endurance of a fixed wing. JUMP fitted Arcturus air vehicles require no special launch equipment and do not require runways for launch or landing. The unit can be transported and operated by only two technicians. Once on site, it can be set up and ready for flight in less than 15 minutes.

Located in Northern California, Arcturus UAV is a leader in the small tactical UAV market. The company designs and builds advanced unmanned air systems for border protection, aerial mapping, search and rescue, and defense.